Phenylethylcyanoacetic ester.



HEINRICH HfiRLEIN, OF VOHWINKEL, NEAR ELBERFELD, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TOFARBENFABRIKEN VORM. FRIEDR. BAYER & 00., OF ELBERFELD, GERMANY, A

conronnrion or GERMANY.

PHENYLETHYLCYANOAGETIC ESTER.

No Drawing.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEINRICH HoRLEIN, doctor of philosophy, chemist,citizen of the German Empire, residing at Vohwinkel, near Elberfeld,Germany, have invented new and useful ImprovementsinPhenylethylcyanoacetic Ester, of which the'following is a specification.

I have found that the hitherto unknown phenylethylcyano-acetic esterscan be obtained by treating the phenylcyano-acetic esters withethylbromid. The new esters are valuable intermediate products for theproduction of substituted barbituricacids' which are valuabletherapeutic compounds. Upon treatment with caustic alkali they are splitup into alcohols and a mixture of phenylethylmalonic acid andphenylethylacetic acid.

The esters of the present invention have the following formula:

0255 \\COOR (R=alkyl, aralkyl, aryl).

In order to illustrate the new process more fully the following exampleis given, the

7 parts being by weight :'189 parts of phenylare added to a solution of23 parts of sodium in 300 parts of alcohol (free from water).

The resulting mixture is then heated to boiling in a vessel providedwith a reflux condenser until the liquid shows a neutral reaction tolacmus. The liquid is filtered, the alcohol is distilled off and theester is isolated in the usual way. The new phenylethylcyanoacetic ethylester is a limpid oil boiling at 155 C. under a pressure of 18 mm.

1- claim 1. As new products, the phenylethylcyanoacetic esters beingliquids which are splitup by the action of caustic alkali into alcoholsand a mixture of phenylethylmalonic acid with phenylethylacetic acid,substantially as described.

2. As a new product, the phenylethylcyanoacetic ethyl ester, being alimpid oilboiling at 155 .C. under a pressure of 18 mm. and split up bythe action of caustic alkali into alcohol and a mixture ofphenylethylmalonic acid and phenylethylacetic acid, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

HEINRICH HORLEIN. [1,. 8.

Witnesses HELEN NUFER, A. NUFER.

